A group of 10 independent creative agencies have lined up behind a unique internship program that gives up-and-coming Black creatives a chance to break into the industry with hands-on advertising experience.
Dubbed BLAC—“Building Leaders and Creators”—the immersive, paid eight-week program is sponsored by Procter & Gamble and has a simple mission: to offer diverse, up-and-coming talent the chance to get a foothold in advertising, which has historically been the realm of white creatives.
BLAC features an all-star roster of small agencies from around the country: Walrus and Noble People in New York; Planet Propaganda and O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul in the Midwest; Barrett San Francisco and DNA on the West Coast; and Cornett, Humanaut, Preacher and St. John in the South.
“Every link in the creative and media supply chain should be 40% multicultural, equal to the U.S. population, and we have a long way to go,” says P&G’s Chief Brand Officer Marc Pritchard. “Efforts to identify, nurture and grow talent starting with interns is an important contributor towards this outcome.”
The program’s framework is based on Camp OKRP, another internship program created by Chicago’s O’Keefe Reinhard & Paul in 2017. Candidates will get real-world creative experience working on brand assignments from P&G’s vast portfolio, as well as learning other critical skills from salary negotiation to pitching an idea.